Whale-watching boat uses B100

By | May 01, 2004

In an environment where whales, orcas, seals, sea lions and other marine wildlife abound, it simply made sense to Patrick Pillsbury to use an environment-friendly fuel.

Pillsbury is captain of the Bon Accord, a whale-watching tour boat out of Friday Harbor, Wash. He told Biodiesel Magazine he started using B100 to fuel his 30-foot trawler in March. He fills up every 10 days with 100 gallons of biodiesel, which totals approximately 300 gallons per month. The Bon Accord is the only boat in the area to use B100.

"[Customers] thought it was the coolest thing in the world," Pillsbury said. "The biggest surprise is the amount of people who don't know what it is. Once they find out about it, they are excited to be on a boat running on a vegetable-based product."
Other boats in the area are hesitant to use B100 because they think biodiesel may cause engine problems. Pillsbury hasn't had any trouble.
For more information about Bon Accord tours, visit www.bonaccord.com.